


A Cherry Blossom Crown

by JemTheKingOfSass



Series: Single dads & sakura blossoms [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, HaruGou bffs, M/M, Makoto and Sousuke are elementary school kids, Rin and Haru never met as children, Single father!Haruka, Single father!Rin, Spot the anime I stole all the female names from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-18 00:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14200626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JemTheKingOfSass/pseuds/JemTheKingOfSass
Summary: He turned his attention to the man still sat waiting on one of the chairs and offered his hand. “Hi, I'm Matsuoka Rin. Though this is probably already fairly obvious, I'm Sousuke's dad. I've heard some outstanding things about your son.”“My name is Nanase Haruka. I’m Makoto's father. Sousuke has been over to our house many times since the school year started,” Nanase stated. He looked at the hand Rin was still holding towards him and reached for it, seeming reluctant. Rin was surprised, usually people could not wait to get a piece of him, to touch him, to be far too familiar far too soon. Rin was used to his personal space being invaded, yet he found himself compelled to invade Nanase's space.





	A Cherry Blossom Crown

**Author's Note:**

> You don't need to read Pt 1 to leap into this verse, this story can stand alone. That being said, if Haruka & Gou or Sousuke & Makoto as bffs intrigues you, Pt 1 is a little fic to showcase that a bit, as this one hovers mostly around Rin and Haruka.
> 
>  

 

 

“Shit, shit, shit!”

 

Rin slammed through the door of his flat in a flustered disarray. “Gou?” he called out, as he toed off his shoes and threw his coat on the hook.

 

The summoned woman poked her head around the corner into the entryway. “Chill out, onii-chan. We're just in here waiting for you. You're only a few minutes past when you said you'd be here, your darling boy has already been fed. Relax!” Her smile offset her sass as she simultaneously teased and agitated her brother. 

 

“Okay, okay,” Rin acquiesced, still sounding frazzled. He strode through the entryway to locate his child, so they could head straight out for third grade parent-teacher conferences. He entered the living room and plopped down on the couch next to his favorite nine-year old, who was reading a book with intense concentration. He reached over to ruffle the short black hair and planted a kiss on the top of his head. 

 

“ _Okaeri_ ,” his son mumbled, not tearing his lively teal eyes off the pages. 

 

Rin watched him affectionately. “ _Tadaima_ , Sousuke. So what are you reading right now?”

 

Sousuke grumbled under his breath. “I already told you the last time you asked.”

 

“There's no way it's the same novel, you crazy bookworm!”

 

“It's not the same book, it's the same _series_ ,” he replied, eyes still firmly planted on the printed words in his lap.

 

Rin quickly sifted through his memory “Ah. So it's...Peter Jackson and the Greek Gods?”

 

“It's _Percy_ Jackson and the _Olympians_ ,” Sousuke corrected him with thinly veiled impatience. 

 

“Ah,” Rin rubbed the back of his neck, annoyed at himself for forgetting a key part of his son's current interests. He was always stretched too thin, running too fast, trying to do too many things at once. His wife, Mio, had divorced him shortly after having Sousuke, citing his rapid trajectory through life as one of her main reasons for leaving. She wanted to return to her small home town an hour away from Nagasaki, when a position opened up there at a local accounting firm. She wanted to go back to work and pour herself into the CPA career she had been highly educated for. She also wanted to have her family-of-origin network and the slow pace of life afforded by a small town. 

 

Rin, despite being a couple years younger than Mio, wanted to be as mature as he could be and fully supported his wife's return to work outside the home, but he was unwilling to slow down himself, figuring the parenting details would work themselves out with hired help, organization, and teamwork. He always tried his best to balance his professional swimming career and all its demands with his family, especially his beloved son, yet it was never enough commitment for Mio. He constantly felt pressured to be more and be better in order to be a sufficient father and husband. When his wife of four years, the mother of his child for three years, filed for divorce, his worst fear was confirmed: Rin was not enough for her. 

 

From that moment on, Rin was determined to be enough for Sousuke, especially as Mio had begged him to take control of the parenting so she could devote herself to her return to the workforce. She claimed she needed a break from the three years of isolation she had felt caving in on her from full time motherhood. She had felt trapped in her house, chained to her son, nothing more than a vessel for feeding and soothing. She had felt alone and she needed to escape. After an entire year of isolation from Rin and Sousuke, she agreed to take care of their son for the month of August every year, in between school terms, as well as occasional visits to Tokyo. Every year at the end of July, Rin and Sousuke rode the train to the countryside to drop him off with his mother, and then Mio and Sousuke rode the train back to the city in early September. This arrangement suited Rin perfectly as August tended to be an extremely hectic time of year in the swimming world, as well as a prime time for all his sponsors to come calling as new ad campaigns needed to be rolled out for the autumn.

 

Rin desired to stay within the bustle of Tokyo, feeling the pulse of the city surrounding him at all times. It was more progressive than other parts of Japan, especially rural Japan, and given Rin's personal lifestyle and openness to relationships regardless of gender, higher levels of tolerance and anonymity were a necessity. He was out to few people, mostly because his career and public image as a representative of Japan on the international sporting stage depended on that discretion. Two of the only people who knew he dated men as well as women were currently in his flat. 

 

“Thank you, Gou,” Rin called out to the kitchen, where he knew his sister was clearing up from the dinner she had prepared for her and Sousuke, an extra portion sure to be wrapped and in the refrigerator waiting for Rin whenever he had a moment to feed himself. Gou had transferred her career to the Tokyo branch of the sports clinic she worked at in Kyoto the moment she found out about Mio's departure. She was so horrified at the thought of Sousuke being raised only sporadically by his father, and mostly raised by an assortment of caregivers and nannies, she chose to be the woman in his life, filling in the gaps whenever her brother needed. They had a decent system worked out by this point, and everything flowed around them. That is, it flowed the way raging rapids churn downstream, given how chaotic and demanding Rin's life was, not to mention the unpredictability of parenthood. 

 

Rin loved his son dearly and was a very committed father, but felt he was always a day away from all the spinning plates crashing down around him. He relied too much on Gou, who was in a brand new relationship with one of his teammates, and former high school captain, Mikoshiba Seijūro. He was nearing the end of his swim career, with the Tokyo Olympics right around the corner, and he had been informed that he was expected to be one of the nation's brightest ambassadors for the event, which meant he was soon to be stretched even thinner before he retired. Most importantly, he fought and worked during every free second he had to build and maintain his relationship with Sousuke. He kept up with his son's school work, interests, swimming, friends, and current favorite book which seemed to change daily. 

 

Above all else, Rin was lonely. He had felt relieved when the divorce had been finalized and it was him and Sousuke left in their home. He felt a burden he had not known he was carrying lift off his shoulders. Rin had spent the lengthy proceedings grieving, crying, begging to keep trying, swearing they could make it work. Once it was all finalized, Rin had felt empty but in a peaceful and satisfying way. He realized that no one was built to maintain someone else's sense of fulfillment and happiness, and Rin saw that he had been emotionally pigeon-holed into trying to be everything to his wife. It was too much, and he had not seen it building, but thankfully Mio had, and they were now both free. Or at least, as free as two people could be when when they shared in the creation of a new human being. However, once the relief had passed, all that was left in its wake was a bone-deep feeling of emotional isolation. He missed having someone by his side and on his side, sharing in his successes and failures, receiving the full brunt of his passion, occupying the same space in moments of shared calm.

 

Rin felt two arms snake around his shoulders. Gou squeezed him tightly and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I'll pick up Sou tomorrow from school, okay? Even though you have a free afternoon, you should do something for you. Maybe get a haircut before those bangs take over your entire face,” his sister teased with a grin.

 

Rin let out a bark of laughter. “Careful or I'll let Sou play with scissors and your ponytail at the same time when you're least expecting it.”

 

She glanced at the boy and winked behind his father's back. “He would never, ever turn on me. He'd probably chop off _your_ ponytail by 'accident'.”

 

“I'm sure you're right, Gou. I think Sousuke is most loyal to you. I love it and I wouldn't have it any other way,” Rin hugged his sister back, ever grateful for her expansive and all-encompassing love and generosity for him and his son. “You know you keep saving me. I couldn't do all this without you.”

 

She beamed her brilliant smile at him. “I know, you've told me. And I would make all the same choices again if I had to. I love you.” She stood up from where she had been bending over the back of the couch and smacked her brother lightly on the side of the head. “Now you better get going to those conferences!”

 

“Come on, Sousuke! You heard your Auntie Gou, we better get moving,” Rin hustled his son off the couch. “Bring your book along if you want, I'm sure you don't want to listen to your teacher and I discussing you and your schoolwork.”

 

Grudgingly Sousuke placed a bookmark and closed his tome. He went to get his jacket and slip his shoes on. Rin briefly stopped by the kitchen to grab a banana that he could inhale on the walk to school, then joined the pair by the door. As he looked at Sousuke waiting by the door and Gou bending down to lace up her heeled boots, he was overwhelmed by feelings of affection for these two priceless people in his life who made it richer and so full of love it was bursting at the seams. Life so far had not gone the way Rin had imagined it would; it was filled with more loss than he cared to actively ponder, and he carried a constant pulsing undercurrent of solitude these days, but right at this moment he would not change a thing. This was enough.

 

**

 

As his sister veered off to make her own way home to meet her boyfriend, Rin pulled out his phone to glance at the time. “Ah! Sou come on, we need to run the rest of the way. We're almost late!”

 

He grabbed his son's hand and together they sprinted the final blocks towards Sousuke's school. Chests heaving, they entered the school and wound their way through the hallways towards room 3-B. Luckily for Rin, Sousuke knew exactly where he was going, although he swore they passed the nurse's office at least twice in their journey as his son led him to the correct classroom.

 

There were four chairs lined up outside the propped open door, two of which were occupied. One seat held a boy with sandy brown hair and bright green eyes, who looked up as they approached. 

 

“Sou!” he cried out with a blinding smile. His eyes crinkled and he tilted his head and just looked so genuinely happy to see Sousuke that it instantly filled Rin's heart with warmth. 

 

“Hey Makoto!” Sousuke replied with unbridled enthusiasm, as he held his fist out for a bump. “That's so cool you're here too! When is your conference?”

 

Makoto looked over at the man next to him, who Rin now noticed was sketching in a pad of paper. “Hey Dad?”

 

The man looked up and over at his son, while still shading something in on the paper. 

 

“Dad, when's my conference?” Makoto softly inquired.

 

The man returned his attention to his drawing while responding to his son. “6:00, but your teacher is running behind schedule by a few students, so it will be whenever she has time for us and it's our turn,” The man managed to sound both accepting of this news and yet bothered by the nuisance of the scheduling glitch. 

 

Rin barely heard the exchange. He was completely captivated by Makoto's father and how his hand moved the pencil across the pad in front of him. He felt a light elbow in his side, which jostled him out of his trance. 

 

“Dad,” Sousuke whispered. “You're staring at my friend's dad! Stop.”

 

Rin looked over. “Oh, sorry Sou.” He turned his attention to the friendly looking boy now standing at his son's side. He held out his hand. “Hi, I'm Rin. I'm Sousuke's dad.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Matsuoka-senshu! I'm Makoto!” The boy grasped the proffered hand enthusiastically. 

 

“Sousuke has mentioned your name many times since third grade started. I'm so pleased to finally meet you. And please call me Rin,” he could not help but add at the end. “That's my name and I like when people use it.”

 

“I know your name, everyone in this class knows who you are!” Makoto sounded close to gushing. Rin glanced over at his son and saw his cheeks flush slightly. “Sou talks about how amazing you are all the time and we've watched you together on television before! I've wanted to meet you forever, but that's not why I like Sou, I'd still think he's really cool even if you weren't really cool too!”

 

“Makoto,” his father spoke up, and Rin saw his hand still. 

 

“Sorry Dad,” Makoto rushed out. “And I'm sorry Matsu-umm, Rin! I swim too and I'll never be as great as you, but hopefully I can be good like my dad. One of my idols is Mikoshiba Seijūro since he swims backstroke and I swim backstroke, most of the other strokes scare me a little because I can't see the sky. Does that ever happen to you, Rin?”

 

“Makoto,” his father scolded again, furrowing his eyebrows a little, settling into an expression Rin felt looked fairly natural on his face.

 

Rin interjected before Makoto could word vomit much more in excitement. “Makoto, I'm happy to hear you like watching swimming so much and it's so great you swim too! We need lots of solid young swimmers coming through the ranks. Mikoshiba and I aren't going to be around forever. You and Sou will have to take over for us one day. The relay will need talented back and fly legs once we're done. And if I'm great, it's only because I work really hard. Hard work will get you a lot further than raw talent.”

 

He turned his attention to the man still sat waiting on one of the chairs and offered his hand. “Hi, I'm Matsuoka Rin. Though this is probably already fairly obvious, I'm Sousuke's dad. I've heard some outstanding things about your son.”

 

“My name is Nanase Haruka. I’m Makoto's father. Sousuke has been over to our house many times since the school year started,” Nanase stated. He looked at the hand Rin was still holding towards him and reached for it, seeming reluctant. Rin was surprised, usually people could not wait to get a piece of him, to touch him, to be far too familiar far too soon. Rin was used to his personal space being invaded, yet he found himself compelled to invade Nanase's space.

 

“Please call me Rin,” he immediately tossed out. 

 

Nanase locked his clear blue eyes on Rin's red ones, looking defiant. “Then call me Haru.”

 

Rin grinned. “Alright Haru. So your son mentioned he wants to be good like you. You swim?”

 

“I only swim free,” Haru blurted out like a reflex. 

 

“I swim free too,” Rin could not help himself, even though he was not sure what he was saying until it poured out of his mouth. “You and I will have to race sometime.”

 

Haru blinked at him. “An Olympic swimmer wants to race a nobody in a stroke that has won him international medals? Why?”

 

Rin's eyes widened in surprise. He did not have an answer, he did not know what he was thinking throwing around a racing challenge to some man he just met. All he knew was he felt inexplicably pulled to Haru for some reason. Was he so self-absorbed that just because someone avoided throwing himself at him, he needed to ascertain why? 

 

Rin shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. “Ah nevermind, forget it. I don't really have time to swim extra anyways, I don't have much time to do anything besides what I'm obligated to do. I don't know why I asked that, I'm a little pushy I guess. But you're hardly a nobody. At the very least, you're the father of someone who appears to be a wonderful boy and you entertain my son when I can't be there. That already makes you very important, at least as far as I'm concerned.”

 

It was subtle, but Rin swore he saw a shift in Haru's eyes. They shone a little, the blue appearing more like sapphires as they focused on Rin and the words that had just burbled out of his mouth. 

 

“I like Sousuke. He's polite to me and he makes Makoto smile real smiles. His parents have clearly done a wonderful job,” Haru looked off to the side as he said this, as if he was not used to heaping praise on someone. 

 

Rin felt himself blushing. While people typically fell all over themselves to lavish Rin with compliments, the words often circled around his swimming, his muscles, his appearance, his fashion, his ability to speak foreign languages. Rin could not remember the last time, if ever, someone made note of his parenting. His status as a father, something that had shaped Rin's life for the last nine years, was barely even a side note on most people's radar. Everyone knew Rin the international swimmer, Rin the spokesman, Rin the face of TYR, Rin the blurry figure caught by the paparazzi grabbing a coffee at the Starbucks in the Shin-Maru building. Unfortunately, he had been Rin the ex-husband briefly six years ago but it fizzled out as newsworthy quite quickly. He was never Rin the person, Rin the father, Rin the lonely thirty-year old. 

 

“Th-thank you, Haru,” Rin stammered out. He felt tongue-tied and was not sure why. 

 

“For what?” Haru shot back. “You and your wife have clearly done a wonderful job.”

 

Rin felt his face flame to the very roots of his hair. He had no idea how to respond, not least of which to disabuse his counterpart of the notion that he currently had a wife, or that she was even that involved of a mother. He looked down at the ring he still wore around his finger, for his son's sake. He was not sure why he felt a sudden compulsive need to make Haru aware of his exact situation. He wanted Haru to know he was available and in no way tied down to anyone, however, ideally he could pass along this information without making his pressing loneliness and desperation for companionship too obvious. 

 

At that moment, the third grade teacher came out to call for Haru and Makoto to enter for their conference. Haru rose to his feet, and Rin for some reason was surprised to find him at his own eye level. He was used to being at least slightly taller than most other men. He nodded at Rin and turned to enter the classroom. 

 

Rin watched Makoto follow his father as he sat down hard into Haru's vacated seat. Sousuke perched next to him and pulled out his book. Rin pulled out his phone to kill time but ended up staring off into the distance. Sousuke looked over at his dad.

 

“What do you think of Mako, Dad?” he asked, sounding like he sought affirmation of his impeccable taste in friends. 

 

Rin glanced over into the sparkling eyes that were the twin of his ex-wife's. “He seems great, Sou. I like him.”

 

“Isn't his dad so awesome, too? It's funny you asked Mako to call you Rin because Haru did the same thing the first time I met him,” Sousuke explained with excitement. “He spends a lot of time with us when we're together, and he takes us swimming! I'm trying to get Mako to try fly but he's too scared to put his face in the water. Haru says I shouldn't push him, that he needs to be free to swim how he wants but I think he's be a pretty awesome fly swimmer, just like us, huh Dad?”

 

Rin grinned. “Yep, just like us.” He turned to his son, the smile slipping off this face. “Hey Sou, how much time have you been spending at the Nanase's?”

 

Sousuke's face clouded over with concentration. “Ummm, Auntie Gou invited Makoto over for a sleepover awhile ago, and then Haru invited me back like a week later. She knows him from school or something. High school I think she said, I don't know. I go there a lot.” He shrugged.

 

Rin's interest was completely piqued. “Auntie Gou knows Haru? I'm glad to hear that since no one ever asked me if it was okay for you to go over to a house with some man I've never met.”

 

His son laughed and shook his head. “Dad! Auntie Gou always makes my plans. _Always_. She tries to text you sometimes but then she complains that you never get back to her in time for the plans so she just makes the decisions. Auntie Gou runs the show Dad!”

 

Rin felt a stab of regret tinged with guilt lance through him. He brought his phone to life and tapped out a text as fast as he could. 

 

 **Me:** _Hey GouGou, I just wanted to make sure I remembered to say my daily thank you for everything you do for us._

**Gou:** _Onii-chan, you two are my FAMILY. You don't need to thank me as much as you do. I love Sou like he's my own, I want the best for him too. <333_

 **Me:** _It will never be enough. I more than owe you for helping me all the time._

 **Gou:** _When I'm a mother, you can make it up to me by being the world's best uncle. Spoil my kids!_

 **Gou:** _Oh and I expect free swim lessons! ;) ;) ;)_

 **Gou:** _And you are STILL TAKING TOMORROW AFTERNOON FOR YOURSELF!!! I'm keeping your son hostage overnight._

 **Me:** _So._

 **Gou:** …

 **Me:** _Tell me about Haru?_

 

**

 

“Matsuoka Rin?” A crisp woman's voice rang through the hallway. Rin looked up and saw his son standing next to the pleasant looking woman who must be his teacher. She had a hand on Sousuke's shoulder and they softly laughed together. Next to them stood Haru and Makoto, finished with their conference and also in on the joke.

 

He rose from the chair and joined them a few steps away. 

 

“Dad, my teacher was trying to get your attention for like 10 minutes!” Sousuke crowed.

 

The woman chuckled. “Now now, it was maybe a minute. Your dad is busy and I'm just happy I get to finally meet one of our nation's heroes and the father of one of my favorite students!” She leaned over towards Rin, smiling wide. “He and Makoto are two of the best but shhh, I'm not supposed to have preferences.” 

 

Haru smiled while the two boys cackled to themselves. 

 

“We love you, Sensei!” they both called out and then stared hard at their teacher. She apparently did not disappoint as her face flushed pink and she waved them off. 

 

“Matsuoka-san, please follow me and we can discuss your son's academic work while he plays with Makoto. Nanase-san has already agreed to stay out here with them so you and I can get to know each other, as we work together for Sousuke to have the best third grade year he can have.” The teacher extended her hand. “I'm Miura Tsumugi and I deeply apologize for the delay in our appointment. I'm a talker and I can never seem to keep things on track.”

 

“Miura-san, it's a pleasure to finally meet you,” Rin responded as he shook her hand, glad to finally get acquainted with yet another adult responsible for shaping his son's life, spending more time with Sousuke than himself.

 

After a lengthy thirty-supposed-to-be-fifteen minute conference, Rin emerged from his son's classroom. He looked around to locate Haru and the boys, and spotted them clustered in the corner with a deck of cards.

 

“Ahhh, is that _Hanafuda_?” Rin walked over to join them. He crouched down to watch the action. “March is my favorite suit.”

 

Haru looked up with interest. “And why is that, Rin?”

 

Rin felt his face get hot and he immediately felt a little silly. Sousuke spoke up for his dad, probably trying to prevent his embarrassment.

 

“March is the cherry blossom cards and my dad loves cherry blossoms! He thinks they are romantic. He even proposed marriage to my mom with a crown of cherry blossoms! He put it right on her head since he was so young he couldn't afford a ring. Every April we go to Mount Takao to hike to see the flowers. They bloom a little later there than here, so we get to see them here and then we get our special trip!” Sousuke was practically out of breath by the end of that little story. Rin was pleased their annual excursion meant so much to his son, but now he felt more mortified than before. He opened his mouth to try again to defend himself for his silly notions, but Makoto was talking by the time Rin could formulate coherent sounds.

 

“Oooh, that sounds really cool! I wish my dad and I did that.” Makoto stopped, his smile falling a little as he looked contemplative. “Does your mom ever go cherry blossom hiking with you too?”

 

Sousuke looked surprised at the question. “Nope. It's always just been me and my dad and the cherry blossoms. I asked my mom about it once in the summer, and she told me she thinks it's pretty silly to look so forward to some flowers blooming. She says they flourish every year, the same way, in the same place, there's nothing exciting about them. Plus she doesn't like red or pink that much anyways.”

 

Haru followed this exchange silently. He looked over at Rin, who met his eyes. Rin had no idea what was going through Haru's head at that moment, hearing that personal anecdote. Rin had heard Mio rant often enough about the time he wasted on cherry blossom viewing, he knew how she felt about one of his favorite things. He was aware she thought his proposal was lame and as unromantic as it could be, feeling he displayed his immaturity at the spontaneous, cherry blossom fueled request for her hand. He was frequently lectured on how jealous she was of his limited free time spent traveling annually to Mount Takao for the best flower sight. 

 

When Rin had been a child, his parents had taken him and Gou every year for the same tradition. The April after he turned seven years old was when the family custom ended, and the April after he turned seventeen years old was when he began going to Mount Takao alone. The April after he turned twenty-one years old, he started bringing his son with him, breathing new life into a ritual held close to his heart.

 

“I like cherry blossoms too,” Haru stated with complete confidence. 

 

“Dad! Can we bring Mako and Haru next year? Please?” Sousuke begged Rin, eyes pleading with his father.

 

Rin reeled back and turned towards Haru, who watched his reaction. He smirked and cocked a brow, as he leaned towards the black-haired man. “What do you say? Want to take a romantic day trip with a stranger?” As soon as the words left his mouth he wanted to sink into the hideous linoleum floor where he still crouched by the abandoned card game. He had no idea what had possessed him to flirt with his son's friend's father, an unknown quantity up until an hour prior. As he had long-suspected, Rin had just confirmed that he was a menace to his own well-being. 

 

Hand nervously rubbing at the back of his neck, Rin attempted to reel in the misplaced charm. “Umm, what I mean is-”

 

“I think that sounds like a nice spring tradition. We would love to join you if we won't be intruding on your time together,” Haru placed a hand on top of Rin's own that was resting on his knee. 

 

Rin felt his pulse quicken against his will and hoped Haru could not feel it thrumming under his skin. He was feeling a little out of control, a little unsettled by one palm resting atop the back of his hand. He swore he felt butterflies in his stomach, fluttering wildly. He had not felt like this in years. In fact, he mused he had not had this gut dropping sensation since Mio had called him telling him her contractions were a minute apart. 

 

_A minute! Why didn't you call me sooner? I would have left as soon as you needed me to take you to the hospital._

_You say that but I bet you'd have finished your training set first._

_That's not true._

_What can you do anyway? The neighbor already took me to the hospital and it's me who's got to push a baby out. You get to just go back to swimming when I'm done. You don't even have to come if you are too busy. You can meet the baby later._

_What? No! I'm coming right now, you couldn't stop me if you tried. I'm meeting our child the second he or she is out!_

_Whatever you want, Rin._

 

The birth of his child should have been a glorious day, and it truly had been, but in the eleven years since Mio had entered his life, he had yet to shake the feeling that there had never been one moment in their relationship that he had not failed his partner. Not for the first time, Rin knew deep down he was ill-suited for a relationship. He was clearly too selfish, too driven, too absorbed in his own career. 

 

He pulled his hand away from underneath Haru's. “Well, if you want to, we'll be going.”

 

Haru's eyes were on Rin's knee, where his hand still laid. Slowly he removed his hand and lifted his head to look at Rin. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

 

“In a shocking twist, I have no pool time, just a short session of dryland and weights. After that I have a meeting with OluKai, but it's not too far from my home and I'll be done by early afternoon. Then my sister said she'd pick up Sou and take him to hers for the night, so I have a completely free evening,” Rin ran his hand through his hair, silently agreeing with Gou that it was getting a little too long. “I think I need to get a haircut though.”

 

Haru ran his eyes over Rin's carmine locks and gave a slight nod. “I cut Makoto's hair. I used to-” He snapped his mouth shut and blinked at Rin.

 

“What did you used to do?” Rin was captivated by the man in front of him, wanted to know any nugget of information he was willing to parse out to him.

 

Haru turned his head to the side, focused on the corner of the hallway. Rin ducked his head to get in his line of vision. He smiled softly and snared cobalt eyes in his sight. 

 

“I used to trim Makoto's mother's hair. She had beautiful long hair and she trusted me to cut it when she wanted to change her look. I'm not trained but I am familiar with soft, pretty hair,” Haru closed his mouth firmly again and Rin saw his cheeks darken a little. 

 

“Y-you think my hair looks soft and pretty?” Rin stammered out, heart rate spiking, small winged creatures again taking flight within him. He really needed to get control of himself; he was a grown man and he felt like a hormonal adolescent, blushing and stuttering. In a fit of maturity, he focused on the unspoken offer he had received. “You want to cut my hair?”

 

Haru averted his face again slightly. “I will if you want me to. Getting a last minute appointment could be a hassle.” Haru frowned. “Unless you already have one scheduled.”

 

“I don't have an appointment scheduled,” Rin assured him, apparently trying to talk an amateur stylist into attacking his cherished hair with his scissor-wielding hands. 

 

Haru sighed. “I can save you the money on a professional haircut.”

 

“You think I look like I need to save the money from one haircut?” Rin snickered, enjoying that Haru appeared the slightest bit ruffled. He did not seem like the type of person easily flustered or overrun by his own emotions, which filled Rin with the tiniest sliver of jealousy.

 

“No. But who doesn't want to save a little money if given the choice?” Haru easily saved face and deflected right back to Rin.

 

“I'll pay you! I don't want to take advantage,” Rin babbled, actively trying to make sure that Haru was absolutely going to give him a haircut tomorrow. He had no idea what he was doing but he enjoyed this feeling. He felt good. “Let me take you to dinner as payment, anywhere you want.”

 

“Even to Shinpachi Shokudo? It's in Shinjuku, not Kōtō. Oh but it's not too expensive,” proclaimed Haru. 

 

Rin barked out a laugh. “You seem quite concerned with my finances! I can afford to treat you to a nice dinner. Is that where you want to go? Or did you only pick it because it's cheap and you think I'm barely scraping by?” 

 

Haru shook his head. “It has the best mackerel that I've found in Tokyo. It's fresh and cooked perfectly.” 

 

“Hey Dad?” Makoto popped up next to Haru. “I promised Aya-san that I would feed her cat tonight while she is away visiting her sister. It's getting late and I don't want the kitty to be hungry.”

 

“Ah, yes, we'll go home. Go say goodbye to Sousuke,” Haru directed, though Rin doubted Makoto ever needed reminders for manners or good behavior. 

 

Rin felt proud of his son for finding such a great kid to befriend. He wondered how much was his inherent nature, as opposed to how much was Haru or his mother's influence. He pondered their hair cutting conversation and the mention of Makoto's mother and how it had been described as past tense. Since they were on their way out, and anything dealing with relationships had the potential to be a lengthy discussion, he could not inquire now. 

 

Haru turned back to him. He held out a business card with his address, phone number, and email listed. The firm cardstock was splashed with a delicate watercolor design in the background, and the font chosen was both practical and aesthetically pleasing. It stated that Nanase Haruka was a freelance artist and to contact him for commissions. “Come over tomorrow when you're done with your sponsor. I've got you booked for a haircut.”

 

Rin clutched the card protectively and smiled. “I'll plan on it, Nanase Haruka, Freelance Artist.”

 

“Until tomorrow, Matsuoka Rin, Professional Swimmer,” Haru challenged back with a slight wave, as he headed down the hallway towards the exit, son in tow. 

 

“Matsuoka-san, what are you still doing here?” A voice startled Rin’s focus away from where he stared down the hallway after Haru. He noticed the keys in the teacher’s hand as she moved to lock up her classroom.

 

“Ah, Miura-san, I'm sorry, I lost track of time,” Rin apologized. “We're heading out right now. Come on, Sou!” Rin all but sprinted down the hallway.

 

“See you tomorrow, Sensei!” Sousuke called over his shoulder as he ran to catch up to his dad.

 

**

 

Rin got off the Tozai line at Kiba station the following day, after an easy morning of dryland and a brief sponsorship meeting, and pulled out Haru's business card again. Although he was sure he had memorized the information by this point, he wanted to run his fingers over the watercolor artwork and gaze at the name emblazoned across the card. As Rin meandered through the busy streets towards his destination, lovingly caressing a piece of cardstock, feeling his gut churn in anticipation, he was slammed with the realization that he had it bad. He slipped the card carefully into his wallet and shook his head as though that would help him clear away the Nanase fog that had descended over him. 

 

He walked past a vast green park and approached the modern white apartment building bearing Haru's address, appreciating its visual appeal, as he made note of the wide balconies facing the Ooyoko River and the numerous windows. He entered the lobby on the first floor and located the button for Unit B. He pressed his finger down on the buzzer, lost in thought. He was not supposed to have feelings for someone, much less a person he barely knew and who was yet another person who apparently picked up Rin's slack as a father. Rin was too busy, too overextended, too self-absorbed. He barely had time to breathe and feed himself, much less fulfill another human being. What was he thinking, getting his stomach twisted into knots because a man, who happened to be an old friend of Gou's and loved by Sousuke, popped up into his life. How could he possibly carve out space for a new person, when he still failed to meet the demands of the few very important people already in his life. He should walk away now, before this new person can get hurt, let down, ignored by Rin. There must be a hair salon somewhere in this part of Kōtō, he just needed to get his finger off this damn button and walk away.

 

Rin turned around and strode to the lobby door. He pulled it open and stepped outside, when slender fingers grasped his wrist still on the door handle. 

 

“Rin!” Haru panted, looking a little disheveled and mildly annoyed. “Where are you going after holding down my buzzer for a solid minute?”

 

Rin's eyes were wide and unblinking, while his mind went blank. He stared at Haru, butterflies back, except this time they had at least quadrupled in number and were beating their wings madly throughout his entire body. 

 

“I can't unlock the inner door remotely from my end, none of us can. The system is being upgraded. I had ink all over my hands that I needed to wash off and couldn't get down here any sooner. I've never had someone hold the button down that long,” Haru explained, as if his short delay in responding to the buzzing was the reason for the mute redhead in front of him. He had no way of knowing Rin was suffering a mild existential crisis over a non-existent relationship, freaking out over the very concept of failing a partner that was not yet his in any shape or form. 

 

“I don't want to put you out,” Rin lamely made the first excuse that popped into his mind.

 

“I invited you here and offered. You aren't putting me out. You’re buying me dinner,” Haru persisted, even in the face of impending disaster. 

 

Rin took a deep, steadying breath. He was too old for this level of nerves at being in the presence of an attractive man who appeared to be available. He still needed to find out the reason why there were no longer haircuts for Makoto's mother. Sheer curiosity provided the courage for him to steel his resolve and carry on with the planned afternoon with Haru.

 

“Okay Haru, I'm ready. Do your worst,” Rin lifted an eyebrow and grinned, attempting to mask all remaining unease at opening himself up to someone.

 

Haru led him over to the stairs and together they headed to his fourth floor 2LDK. It was bright and airy and the river view was stunning. The living room was already set up with a stool and a sheet, as well as a tray with scissors, combs, clips, two small mirrors, and a diminutive spray bottle. 

 

“Wow, you really are prepared to give a full service haircut aren't you?” Rin was impressed with the array of tools at Haru's disposal. “You're committed. Makoto must have the best hair in the third grade.”

 

A tight smile flitted across Haru's face and he hummed in agreement. Rin noticed that his eyes looked sadder, more shadowed as he turned towards the windows facing the river.

 

“Haru?”

 

The black-haired man returned his attention to Rin and gestured him towards the stool. “I texted your sister this morning.”

 

“Oh yeah? Small world that you're old high school friends. I feel like our paths should have crossed before now since you've known Gou for like fifteen years.” Rin settled on the stool and Haru draped the sheet across his shoulders. Haru gently smoothed it down his back and arms, and Rin shivered slightly at the caress. It felt more intimate to him than it should have considering the sheet did nothing but add layers between them. He knew he was touch-starved given how kinesthetic he was overall, but this bordered on ridiculous. 

 

“Well, you're quite busy aren't you,” Haru responded lightly. 

 

Rin felt himself tense. “Yeah my life is fairly hectic. I'm sorry.”

 

Haru moved in front of him, fastening the sheet together at his neck. He stopped and looked at Rin. “Why are you apologizing?”

 

“I'm too busy, I don't make time for what's important. I'm not trying to let you, uhh, anyone down,” Rin hurried out a stock response, butterflies slowing down their crazy rhythm within him, some of them probably expiring from sheer disappointment.

 

Concerned eyes stayed fixed on him. “You haven't let me down Rin, and it doesn't sound like you let down your sister or son either, from what they tell me. You are their collective hero.”

 

“Tch,” Rin rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Sure, I'm a lot of people's hero and I'm sure my posters are taped up on way too many walls.”

 

Haru frowned at him. “What are you talking about? I don't think being a swimmer matters to Gou or Sousuke.” He started combing Rin's hair, running his fingers through the strands gently. “I know it doesn't matter to Makoto. He idolizes you. Yes, he thinks you are the most amazing man in the water, but he mostly thinks you are the 'coolest' dad. I heard about nothing last night except how 'cool' your annual cherry blossom trips are and how jealous he is that we don't do something like that. Usually I have to hear about how 'cool' it is that you let Sousuke pick out the pet he wanted without trying to convince him it's too much work or that you didn't trust him to take responsibility for it. It's 'cool' that you bake with him even though neither of you eats sweets and that you take the desserts to your neighbors. It's 'cool' that you go on bike rides and allow Sousuke to map out the route you follow. It's 'cool' that you take him camping every summer before he leaves to go to his mom's house. I think I know more about you than Gou and I've known her significantly longer.”

 

Rin felt the telltale tightening at the corners of his eyes, the lump swelling in his throat. He knew he was seconds from tears leaking out in front of Haru. He took a bracing breath and closed his eyes tightly to avoid embarrassing himself further than he already had. Somehow, Haru made him feel things and it made him emotionally reckless and he was terrified. He felt a hand softly touch his chin and tilt his head to the right, as fingers grazed his cheek and his own hair swept across his skin. He sensed Haru lean in towards him, a puff of warm breath exhaled near his ear, as his hair was lifted and moved around his face. He opened his eyes to see Haru's brilliant cobalt ones right in front of him.

 

“I'm not married, you know. I wear this ring but only because I don't want anyone to judge Sou for me not being able to stay married. You mentioned my wife before. I don't have a wife anymore. There was a woman in my life at one time who gave birth to Sousuke, now she mothers for one month out of every twelve.” Rin gulped down his stream of consciousness. “I just...thought you should know.” He held his breath. Why he had felt the need to unload that bit of information eluded him. He was sure the reasoning would occur to him sometime later that night, likely between 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning, when sleep was little more than a distant memory.

 

“I think I know what I want to do,” murmured Haru, standing back up and moving behind Rin. He ran a comb through Rin's part, straightening it, and began clipping up the top sections. “I'm not going to take off much length, but I am going to reshape it around your head and your face, so it's more tightly stacked in the back and your bangs frame your face, without overtaking your features like your hair is doing now. Are you okay if you can't pull it back?”

 

“Yeah, that's fine. I only pull it back when I'm working out because it gets in my face. I can always use a headband if I really need to,” Rin had not understood most of what Haru described beyond 'length', but trusted Haru's visual and artistic capabilities intrinsically. 

 

Silence fell between them as Haru worked slowly but rhythmically. He moved like liquid around Rin, clipping, trimming, combing, assessing, and Rin's instantaneous favorite part, when Haru ran his fingers languidly down his scalp to make sure the hair was moving freely, as he had visualized it.

 

Haru spoke up, breaking the quiet. “I knew you didn't live with your son's mother. Sousuke rarely mentions her, when he does it's in reference to you. He mentions cherry blossoms a lot, how much she despises them, how important they are to you and him. He loves your proposal story, I've heard it numerous times.”

 

“Ah,” Rin closed his eyes, remembering the scene unfold. No one heard the complete memory, as he tended to gloss it over and make it sound a little smoother than it had played out. Maybe someday, after Sousuke had grown up a few years, after his first heartbreak, after reaching an age that one horrible anecdote from his father would not shape his impressions of his mother, Rin would share the actual proposal story with him. 

 

_What are you doing down there?_

_Mio, I know we're young but I'm sure we belong together. You make me happy and complete and we're such a good team together. Will you marry me?_

_Oh. Rin, what is that you're holding?_

_I wove cherry blossoms together. Gou helped me shape it into a circle. I figure you can wear it on your head, like a princess._

_It's certainly too big to fit on my finger._

_Oh yeah, I'll get you a ring someday though, I promise! I just need to train a little harder, perform a little better at World's next year, so I can get the interest of a bigger sponsor, you know? I'll get there Mio. You have faith in me, don't you?_

_Is it always about swimming with you, Rin?_

_This is about you and me, swimming has nothing to do with it. I love you. I want to be a team with you for as long as you'll have me._

_Sure, I can marry you Rin. Why don't you wear the flowers on your own head so I don't have to. I'll wait for a real ring._

_Oh, okay, whatever you want. Here, I'll just leave this here in the park then, maybe some little kid will want to wear it or play with it._

_Why don't I just throw it away, so we aren't leaving garbage behind us._

 

Rin shuddered at the memory, feeling humiliated just thinking about it. “Someone has to like that story, it sure wasn't my ex-wife. It was pretty lame, not the stunning declaration she was dreaming of, I suppose.”

 

“I like hearing it whenever Sousuke talks about it. You're the clear protagonist in his version,” Haru assured Rin, hands calmly but firmly massaging his scalp. Perhaps Sousuke had picked up on more underlying subtext about his parents proposal story than his father gave him credit for comprehending. Knowing children’s tendencies to embellish and overshare, Rin wondered how much Haru knew.

 

“Say Haru,” Rin began, desperate to shift topics. It was now or never. “You mentioned that you cut your son's hair.”

 

“Mhmm,” Haru agreed.

 

Rin continued, his nosiness knowing no bounds. “You also mentioned his mother. Umm, do you still work on her hair?”

 

“Rin, you don't need to dance around it,” Haru lightly chided.

 

“I'm sorry,” he blurted out remorsefully. 

 

“Stop apologizing so much,” responded Haru. “Now, as for Yui, Makoto's mother, she was actually who taught me how to style and cut hair. We met at art school, but she chose to pursue a more practical side of her creativity. She worked at a salon, and was saving up to purchase her own salon one day, instead of just renting a chair at someone else's business. She was a hair artist. She was incredible.”

 

Rin, being quite familiar with loss himself, guessed the direction of this conversation. His heart already broke for Haru, who sounded like he was still in love with a woman who had been taken from him far too soon.

 

“She and I were best friends throughout school. We were probably a little too close for friends, I think some Westerners would have called us friends with benefits. Well, we thought we were always careful but 9 months after not being careful, Makoto came along. He was healthy, she was healthy, and they were discharged from the hospital. She went home with her parents to raise the baby before her last school term. They were supportive of Yui and Makoto but not sure what to think of me, although they had known me for almost four years by that point.” Haru paused and stepped back from Rin. He walked over to the windows overlooking the river. It seemed like he sought solace from the water below, just out of reach, but providing comfort nonetheless.

 

Rin's heart was in his throat as he waited for Haru to continue, feeling deep in his bones that there was tragedy at the end of this tale. Haru's shoulders shook slightly. Rin got up from the stool and raced over to him, the urge to provide some comfort an overwhelming instinct. 

 

“Haru,” he murmured, intuition guiding him as he pulled the other man into an embrace, hoping he could bring even a sliver of comfort at having forced this memory to the surface. “Don't say anything else.”

 

Haru pulled back and looked surprised to be in Rin's arms. His face was dry but his expressive eyes held pain and loss. “No. I can do it. I've never told this story from start to finish like this. But I want you to hear it. I don't know why, but you make me want to tell you the full truth, do something I've never done before.” He took a deep breath. 

 

“I got a call after Yui and Makoto had been away for about a week. I was upset because, while I hadn't been planning on a child before graduating from college, or at all, I was already missing out on his life. I had lost my son that I didn't know I wanted and my best friend in one blow. But it wasn't Yui who was calling me, it was her mother. She told me that Yui had passed overnight from a blood clot complication that had gone undetected throughout the pregnancy and delivery. She told me they were bringing me my son and they weren't sure when they would see him next. That it was too painful to be with their grandson without their daughter.”

 

Haru gripped Rin's hand. “They come to take him during Obon every year. That's it. My parents only visit about twice a year from Hokkaido. I think Makoto and Sousuke sense a kindred spirit in each other. Each of them with a single young father struggling to fill too many roles.”

 

Rin felt guilty as he acknowledged his situation. “I have Gou. She's played mommy practically Sou's whole life.”

 

Haru huffed out a soft laugh. “I had a lot of classmates that helped me care for Makoto during my last term and in his early years. I never did it completely alone.”

 

“Still,” Rin pressed. “I'm so sorry for your loss.”

 

“Your eyes are haunted when you say that,” Haru noted. “I know you understand in a way no one should have to.”

 

Rin nodded, feeling his eyes welling up again. He was glad his hand was still warmly and firmly encased in Haru's. “You must already know Gou and I lost our father when we were young. Our mother was a single parent, and so I know it can be done with grace and skill. Taking one look at Makoto proves that to me again. Spending time with Sousuke shows me that it doesn't have to be a parent, but a caring, committed relative can be just as powerful in a child's life.”

 

“I'm sure his Aunt Gou is an irreplaceable presence in Sousuke's life, but you're selling yourself short as his father.” Haru moved his other hand to Rin's face, to gently swipe his thumb under eyes that were leaking. “Let's finish your hair, Rin.”

 

Rin was amazed that Haru felt composed enough to carry on as if they had not just had the deepest conversation he'd likely ever been a part of. He was overwhelmed with lingering grief and loss, but at the same time, he felt calmer, more at peace. Feeling a magnetic pull to Haru made sense somehow; they were linked by numerous parallel threads and experiences, woven together to form a unique blanket of understanding and acceptance. Rin knew he had multiple holes in his soul, some plugged by Gou and his mother, others by his teammates, and the most filled by Sousuke, all critical to keep his emotional boat from sinking. However, somehow Haru coated over his psyche with a smooth, soothing balm. Though he had only known him a day, he knew something inside him had clicked into place. His inner child already clung desperately to Haru while chanting 'Nanase Nanase', relying on him for friendship, support, encouragement. Rin was not sure what a life without Haru looked like anymore. He was not sure he wanted to find out.

 

He moved to sit back on the stool, with Haru right behind him sweeping up errant hair that had fallen when things had shifted towards the windows. Fingers returned to Rin's hair, brushing it out, tousling trimmed strands, rearranging to find uneven ends. Haru reached for the spray and spritzed it liberally over crimson hair. 

 

“This is sea salt spray. It'll give a little structure and texture to your hair for the rest of the evening. That way it'll look good all the way through dinner.” Haru set down the water bottle and looked directly at Rin. “Not that you need much help to look good. You're beautiful, Rin.”

 

“H-Haru!” Rin knew his face was bright red, it felt so hot. The air was thick around him and he sucked in air like he was drowning. 

 

His compatriot looked at him quizzically. “Why are you spluttering like that? You must know how gorgeous you are.”

 

“Not compared to you! Have you seen yourself?” Rin was not sure where this conversation was going but he would be sure that Haru left it knowing he was the prettiest person he had ever laid eyes on. 

 

Haru blinked at him. He shook his head slightly and turned to grab the two handheld mirrors off his tray. “Here. Take a look. I'll hold the one in the back so you can see that too.”

 

It was perfect. Just like Haru. Relationship failures in his past or not, Rin could not let him get away without giving this a try. “Hey Haru?” he began, feeling as nervous as he had when he'd asked Mio to marry him with an underwhelming flower wreath in April. “I love the haircut, it's exactly what I needed without knowing I needed it, and I am positive it will pass the Gou-test. So thank you very much.”

 

“You're welcome, Rin. Yours is the kind of hair every stylist should have the pleasure of working with. It's so pretty.” Haru pet Rin's head while he spoke, rubbing him from crown to nape like a spoiled cat. Rin was practically purring under Haru's tender ministrations, he had never felt such incredible fingers, but he soldiered on to finish what he had mentally started.

 

“I can't pay you in dinner,” he rushed over his words, already worried they would be taken the wrong way if he did not get them all out. In fact, Haru's face was already beginning to fall, eyebrows pulling in slightly. “I mean, I do want dinner. With you. You know, to eat you, or rather, eat _with_ you. At dinner. Tonight. Which we planned. But I don't want it to be considered payment for services rendered or whatever, I want it to just be dinner. You and me and dinner. Together. Eating dinner. Like, a meal.”

 

Haru's eyes sparkled. “Yes, I know what dinner is Rin.”

 

Rin shoved him playfully on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m creating a moment here, Haru! Cut me some slack. I am trying to ask you out on a date!”

 

“You are? So do it then,” Haru shot back with a smirk.

 

That young inner Rin hanging off Haru's shoulder, begging to be accepted and befriended, was absolutely fizzing by now. Rin decided to let him take over and guide the words and actions. As a child, he had been bubbly and confident and never let anything hold him down for long, driven to prove himself. He had been positive he would never run out of companions who held the same fundamental belief that you could accomplish anything if you worked hard enough, before life had kicked him around as a juvenile swimmer, before his ex-wife had abandoned him, before he realized that it was hard to find someone to truly treasure and respect you as a partner and equal. 

 

Rin felt an overwhelming urge to make up for a disappointing proposal years ago, despite the man in front of him being nothing like the woman he had fallen for as a youth. He got down on one knee. Haru's eyebrows disappeared under sweeping black bangs as he stared down at Rin.

 

“Nanase Haruka,” he began as he clutched Haru's slender hand in his own sweaty oversized one. “I would be honored if you accepted my humble proposal to join me for dinner at Shinpachi Shokudo.” He reached into his pocket to see what he could possibly find in there that would work in his spur-of-the-moment ridiculousness. He groped around blindly until he located several stray loom bands from his son's recent addiction to bracelet making. 

 

Rin pulled a small rubber band out at random, which happened to be fluorescent green, almost glowing in its artificial brightness. He glanced up at Haru, still goggling at him, cheeks flushed ever so slightly. 

 

“Yes. I will accompany you to dinner at Shinpachi Shokudo,” whispered Haru.

 

Rin slipped the loom band over one of Haru's long, talented fingers and then kissed the back of his hand. Haru pulled him to his feet, never breaking eye contact, Rin already sure he could lose hours gazing into the depths and complexity of the stunning blue eyes in front of him. 

 

Haru leaned into Rin and tilted his head up towards his ear. “I think spending time with you could show me a lot of things I've never seen before.”

 

Rin turned his head and winked at him. “Romantic, right?”

 

The grinned at each other and moved to leave the flat, on their way to their non-payment-date dinner. Haru abruptly stopped and spun around to face Rin, eyes gleaming with a furious, focused energy. 

 

“Rin.”

 

“Haru?”

 

“If you made me a cherry blossom crown, I would wear it proudly every day.”

 

**

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted a fic where Haruka plays with Rin's hair (or vice versa but I couldn’t make it happen). So, after I thought of hair play, I thought of single dads, and I couldn't decide which one of them it should be so WHY NOT BOTH? I felt a burning need to write Sousuke and Makoto (I'm a sucker for the ot4), and I love kid fics because that's my world, and then someone reminded me that’s it’s _sakura_ season. The light bulb exploded and here we are.
> 
> Pt 3 in this verse will be Haruka's perspective on their second date (and is simply waiting for my enabler to look through it for me).


End file.
